This invention relates generally to dental radiographic film holders and particularly to holders adaptable to different size films.
X-rays in dental practice typically result in a number of developed films for a patient. The film format is generally small, and for convenience of storage and ease of viewing, the developed films are mounted on cardboard or plastic holders. The holders have openings through which light can pass for viewing the x-ray film held in the openings. One form of mounting the films is to provide two sheets of cardboard or plastic with generally aligned openings of a size slightly smaller than the films to be held. The sheets are adhered together, and the films are slid into the openings between the sheets through a widened edge of the opening. The films are held in place by the edges of the sheets that surround the opening and capture the edges of the films.
Dental x-ray films come in different sizes, however. Typically, they are size 0 (pedodontic), size 1 (anterior periapical) and size 2 (posterior periapical). One size film cannot be inserted into openings meant for another size. Accordingly, many dental radiographic film holders have a number of openings for different sizes of films. If the collection of films in a particular case does not correspond in sizes to the openings on a card, however, some of the openings will be unusable. If a holder has only one opening, it can be used for only one size film, and cannot be used for others.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a universal dental radiographic film holder that may be used to accommodate a range of film sizes. It is another object to provide such a holder that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and convenient to use.